All Saint's Day

It's not missing. I did not post anything for the month of October. Because of the catastrophic Ondoy, our landline and internet connection developed into an irreparable mess. We decided to just terminate the service then switch to another isp. Still trying to get a new landline, I hope to be back on business soon.

This is actually a delayed post. I ease off yesterday after spending the weekend at my bestfriend's place in Bulacan. This is about my favorite saints. The annual celebration of the Feast of La Naval de Manila was celebrated last month in Sto. Domingo church. A venerated image of Our Lady of La Naval was the center of the procession and mass. The images of the different saints can also be seen in the line-up. Here are some of the stills..























Part of my catholic life is my devotion to the lives of saints. They call it hagiography. They say imitation of the life of Christ then was the benchmark against which saints were measured, and imitation of the lives of saints was the benchmark against which the general population measured itself. I grew up wondering how do these people pass the stardards of holiness. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process, how true that these saints will go to heaven after being canonized? I don't want to explore anything about canonization at the moment. From a person who spent her school-age days in a catholic school, I can give you a brief background.

Pope John Paul II's apostolic constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister of 25 January 1983, and the norms issued by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 7 February 1983, for its implementation on diocesan level continued the work of simplification already initiated by Pope Paul VI.

"Servant of God" The process leading towards canonization begins at the diocesan level. A bishop with jurisdiction—usually the bishop of the place where the candidate died or is buried. This investigation may open no sooner than five years after the death of the person being investigated. Normally, a guild or organization to promote the cause of the candidate's sainthood is created, an exhaustive search of the candidate's writings, speeches and sermons is undertaken, a detailed biography is written and eyewitness accounts are gathered. When sufficient information has been gathered, the investigation of the candidate, who is called "Servant of God", is presented by the local bishop to the Roman Curia—the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints—where it is assigned a postulator, whose task is to gather further information about the life of the Servant of God. Religious orders who regularly deal with the congregation often have their own designated postulator generals.

"Declaration 'Non Cultus'" At some point, permission is then granted for the body of the Servant of God to be exhumed and examined, a certification ("non cultus") that no superstitious or heretical worship or improper cult has grown up around the servant or his or her tomb is made, and relics are taken.

"Venerable/Heroic in Virtue" When enough information has been gathered, the congregation will recommend to the pope that he make a proclamation of the Servant of God's heroic virtue (that is, that the servant exhibited the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, to an heroic degree). From this point the one said to be "heroic in virtue" is referred to by the title "Venerable". A Venerable has as of yet no feast day, no churches may be built in his or her honor, and the church has made no statement on the person's probable or certain presence in heaven, but prayer cards and other materials may be printed to encourage the faithful to pray for a miracle wrought by his or her intercession as a sign of God's will that the person be canonized.

"Blessed" Beatification is a statement by the church that it is "worthy of belief" that the person is in heaven, having come to salvation. This step depends on whether the Venerable is a martyr or a "confessor".


"Saint" To be canonized a saint, one (or more) miracle is necessary. Canonization is a statement by the church that the person certainly enjoys the Beatific Vision. The saint is assigned a feast day which may be celebrated anywhere within the Catholic Church, although it may or may not appear on the general calendar or local calendars as an obligatory feast, parish churches may be built in his or her honor, and the faithful may freely and without restriction celebrate and honor the saint. I live in Saint Lawrence St. I work in St. Clare Medical Center. Is it a sign of something to come? hehe